1900 Scott 17 2m blue "Hohenzollern" German Protectorate Quick History Togo, in Western Africa on the Gulf of Guinea, began as a German Protectorate between 1884-1914- called Togoland.. German missionaries, and then traders had arrived in 1847. Anecho (Aneho) was the first village on the coast that came under "German protection" in 1884, as the tribal chiefs there were forced to sign an agreement. The Berlin Conference of 1885 during the "Scramble for Africa" era solidified the German claim. Togoland 1885 Control was established into the interior over the remainder of the 19th century, and borders were fixed with French Dahomey (1897) and the British Gold Coast (1899). Stamps for the German Protectorate were issued in 1897, using stamps of Germany overprinted "Togo" in black. Gulf of Guinea Coast with Gold Coast, Togo, Dahomey 1900 The capital of Lome was built in 1897. Rubber, Palm Oil, Cotton, and Cocoa plantations were introduced. Railways in Togo Railways from Lome to Anecho (1905, 44 km), Lome to Atakpame (Bitta) (1908-1913, 167 km), and Lome to Agome Palime (Kpalime) (1907, 119 km) were developed. Population was 7,042 (316 Germans) in 1913. Togo 1912 When WW I broke out in 1914, the British and the French invaded unopposed on August 7. The British issued stamps from German Togo overprinted or surcharged "Anglo-French Occupation" October 1, 1914. Stamps from the Gold Coast were overprinted locally in 1915, and then overprinted from London in 1916. The French also issued German Togo surcharged stamps in 1914. On December 27, 1916, separate British and French Administrative zones were formed. The French issued, between 1916-17, overprinted stamps of Dahomey. English and French Mandates 1919 Division indicated by Red Dotted Line The British and the French allies divided the country between them in 1919, and controlled the part adjacent to their own colonies. The League of Nations formalized the arrangement in 1922, each given a mandate. The British received the economically less active area, but the original tribal territories of the Ewe, Dagomba, and Mamprusi were united. (Lome, the capital was actually in the British zone initially, but was transferred to the French zone on October 1, 1920.) In 1956, a plebiscite within the British mandated territory voted for a merger with the British Gold Coast. (The Gold Coast soon thereafter became independent as Ghana in 1957.) British Togo no longer existed. French Mandate Togo (Lilac) British Mandate Togo (Green) The French received the more economically active area, including the coastline and the network of railways. Population in French Mandate Togo was 780,000 in 1938. Of interest, Togo was under the Vichy Government in WW II. Togo French Togo subsequently becomes independent in 1960 as the Republic of Togo. 1900 Scott 13 10pf lake & black "Kaiser's Yacht" German Protectorate Into the Deep Blue The 2014 Scott Classic Specialized 1840-1940 catalogue has, for Togo 1897-1939, 226 major number descriptions. Of those, 23 are for the German protectorate, 59 are for the British occupation/protectorate, 41 are during the French occupation, and the remainder (the majority) are for the French Mandate period. For CV